


You took my heart with a friendly smile

by Monna99



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 20:19:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18105749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monna99/pseuds/Monna99
Summary: “I want to get married."





	You took my heart with a friendly smile

**Author's Note:**

> Just a sweet little snippet. 
> 
> It's sweet. 
> 
> It is. 
> 
> I promise!

“I want to get married. I want kids,” he announces into the companionable silence that sits between them. The woman perched on one of four stools at the entryway glances toward them interestedly. They’re seated at the lone table nestled near the farthest corner. The little noodle shop is surprisingly noisy this time of day. As the thought forms, two more civilians wander in and slide into the recently vacated booth next to them. 

Kakashi blinks, cup raised halfway to his mouth. “My, this is rather sudden, Sensei,” he drawls after a beat. “Why don’t we table the kids discussion for the second date?”

Iruka huffs a laugh and shakes his head at his friend. Yes, he supposes that had been rather abrupt, not to mention completely out of the blue. “Sorry, I guess it’s just been on my mind recently.” He blows on his tea, stirring it slowly. “You must have given it some thought yourself,” he comments. The Nara, Aburame, and Yamanaka clans all have families, openly even. There are those shinobi who choose to hide their ties, but plenty live out of the shadows. Kakashi is not unattractive, he’s young and a very capable shinobi, surely some kunoichi is interested. He studies the jounin as the other man unabashedly examines him in return. Iruka follows the delicate sweep of pale eyebrows, the high cut of cheekbones, the aquiline nose and the gentle curve of soft-looking lips as Kakashi takes a sip of his drink, seemingly lost in thought. _Okay, so he’s hot as hell_ , Iruka admits grudgingly. Finding the shinobi attractive is all fine and well but he’s spending more and more time with Kakashi and the draw to the other man is becoming … inconvenient. 

“Can’t say it’s ever entered my mind,” Kakashi finally answers. 

Iruka lifts an eyebrow in polite disbelief. “You’ve _never_ thought about getting married or having children?” 

“Is that so surprising?” the jounin asks, head tilted consideringly. 

There are moments, like now, when some behavior of Kakashi’s will remind Iruka of Pakkun or Uhei or Bull. He bites his lip to keep from grinning. Kakashi might not appreciate the comparison. “Maybe not,” he allows. They are shinobi, after all, their lives are spent in the service of their village. Though not all shinobi positions are created equal. Jounin might have a higher rank, but Iruka, at least, has a relatively stable position. As an unattached jounin, every aspect of the silver-haired man’s life is putty to be moulded for the interests of Konoha. So, no, it isn’t all that surprising that he hasn’t considered anything like a normal life. As for Iruka, it’s all he’s ever wanted. A return to everything he’d known and lost as a child. 

“So,” Kakashi says, hands spreading as though to encompass the sudden turn of their discussion, “what brought this on? Are you seeing someone on the sly you haven’t told me about?” 

Of course not. It had been a comment, nothing more. Not like the thought had begun to surface ever more frequently the more time he spent in the jounin’s company. Not at all. “I guess I’m just getting to be that age where I’m taking stock of things.” 

“Twenty-seven to be precise,” Kakashi states, unimpressed. 

That’s … accurate. Also incredibly unhelpful in making his stupid heart stop fluttering. _He’s a shinobi, of course he’s observant_ , he reprimands himself. Gods, he’s as bad as his students. It’s getting ridiculous. He sighs and eyes the bowls of ramen being served up, listening to the sounds from the kitchen. _Ping, ping, ping, clang, clang. ‘Order up!’_ The scent of spices intermingle with the aroma of cooked beef and pork and drape the small space like the most delicious blanket. Iruka’s mouth waters and he realizes he’d skipped lunch in the frenzy of final exams.

Kakashi studies him, then waves the young serving girl over. “Two ramen, please.”

The girl glances at the jounin, titters and bowes, flushing as she steals one last look at the man before retreating. Iruka can’t blame her. He sighs again, despondently. How the hell is he going to find someone with whom to settle down if all he can think of is Kakashi? It’s too depressing. 

“You haven’t answered me,” Kakashi murmurs, taking another drink. He’d emptied two sake bottles already and showed no signs of being affected by the alcohol in the slightest. Well, naturally, he wouldn’t let himself become so intoxicated that his senses would be dulled. 

“I thought it was a rhetorical question.”

Kakashi’s gaze is unblinking. It’s a bit daunting to be at the receiving end of all that focus. Not titillating nor thrilling in the least, he tells himself. Unconvincingly. “Are you seeing someone?” he asks again. The man is not easily distracted once he has an objective in sight.

“I’m seeing a lot of people.”

Kakashi’s eyes narrow and Iruka stifles a laugh.

“I’m seeing you, for one. I also see the cook and the waitress and--”

The jounin sighs and shakes his head despairingly. “Still a troublemaker, I see. Now I understand where Naruto gets it.” 

Iruka chuckles. “My apologies, Kakashi-san. You can be easy to rile up at times.”

“Mmm. You’re the only one with the dubious pleasure of that ability,” Kakashi informs him wryly. “Use the power wisely.”

“Really?” It makes something warm idiotically within him. He opens his mouth to say something irredeemably, stupidly heartfelt no doubt, but the young serving girl returns with unseemly haste and makes a production of setting everything down for Kakashi _just so_. The jounin bears up surprisingly well under the attention. Maybe he has women throwing themselves at him regularly so it isn’t worth batting an eyelash over. The thought serves to sober him up and he takes a muted sip of his tea. 

“Something wrong with your food?” the jounin asks, pausing as he picks up his chopsticks. He frowns and slowly sets them down when Iruka doesn’t answer. “You really are troubled over this.” The jounin leans forward, giving Iruka his undivided attention. “Why so suddenly?”

Iruka stares into those dark eyes, reads the concern, the puzzlement. _Why?_ It’s so clear then, so glaringly evident it’s a wonder he hadn’t seen it sooner. He knows why. _Koi no yokan_. He’d perceived, the first time he’d crossed paths with Kakashi, that something momentous had happened. Something like destiny, like inevitability. He ignores the pounding of his heart and stops trying to pretend he doesn’t feel what he feels, stops hiding what he hadn’t even realized he’d been clutching so close to the chest.

Kakashi goes quiet, surprised. “Iruka--”

It sounds like protest. Of course. Kakashi had never thought about marriage or kids, which probably meant he hadn’t thought about having a serious relationship either. Iruka takes a discreet, grounding breath. Well, he’s not one to give up without a fight. No time like the present, right? “So, what are you doing Friday night?”

**Author's Note:**

> Title is inspired by Christina Rossetti's poem, "Twice".


End file.
